Call for TD wage cut if Government isn’t formed soon

TDs should be threatened with a wage cut if they don’t form a new Government soon. The Dáil will hold a second vote for Taoiseach today and Independent Tipperary Deputy, Mattie McGrath, says there should be penalties if the stalemate carries on. Micheál Martin, Enda Kenny and the first woman – Ruth Coppinger – will all be nominated for the top job later but it’s expected no one will win. The Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil leaders have finally agreed to their first face-to-face meeting this evening. However Mattie McGrath says a time limit needs to be placed on the talks. Meanwhile uncertainty surrounding the next Government may be contributing to a decline in consumer sentiment. It has seen the largest drop in seventeen months, according to the latest index published today by the ESRI and KBC Bank. Global concerns and Brexit worries are also key drivers. Generally Irish consumers remain positive, but ESRI economist David Duffy says the lack of a government may be making them more cautious.